Siege of Nancy (1494)

The Siege of Nancy occurred in 1494, when the French army of Louis d'Armagnac was sent to besiege and conquer the rebellious city of Nancy in Burgundy. The French used artillery to blast the gates open, and they overwhelmed the defenders.

In the aftermath of the Burgundian Wars, there was quite some ambiguity as to the ownership of the Duchy of Burgundy, which was nominally a Habsburg possession, but also claimed by the Kingdom of France. In 1494, King Charles VIII of France dispatched Louis d'Armagnac to seize the city from its rebellious lord, Adam de Nancy. Armagnac brought with him 974 troops, including four pieces of heavy cannon. The defenders numbered 732, most of them hastily assembled to defend the city. The French used their cannon to blast down the walls, and their troops poured into the city, led by the knights and followed by pikemen. The Burgundian rebels found themselves overwhelmed, with none of the units making it to the town square. The battle was a decisive French victory, and Nancy and its surrounding areas returned to France.